Community relations aren’t core business yet. Here’s why.
Sustainable development has no future in the mining industry until community relations and development professionals are considered functional equals, social science researchers have warned in a recently published paper.
Relationships with local communities can make, break or delay exploration and mining projects large and small. Land access and community buy-in are essential to long-term success of any mineral extraction project.
But despite the make-or-break power that rests the shoulders of the community relations function, it is not widely seen as core business. Not yet anyway. (more…)